Female Fashion in the 1930sWritten by Geta, Jordan, Stephen, Anonymous

The 1930s were home to a very lady-like style. Fashion, at the time, was more than just a way to look nice and express oneself–It was expected by society that a woman knew how to be (by today’s standards) extremely formal and feminine-looking. Women often wore multiple outfits: day clothes and night clothes. Most clothes were fairly tight around the body. Foreheads, which had for so long been hidden by large hats, were revealed and adorned with small, plate-shaped hats. Clothes during the day were tidy and feminine, and night clothes were intended to be more glamorous (Lester 254).Skirts were usually longer in the back than in the front, and they hung down to the front of the knees. They were tight along the waist, and made of fabrics such as Nylon and fake silk, which were new at the time (Laver 130). Wool and cotton began to be used more often, because they were now considered more than just cheap fabrics for work clothes (Thomas 1). Also, the zipper started to be promoted much more than before. The plastic zipper was invented in 1933, and the fact that it could be made into any color made it much more decorative and suitable for many outfits (Lester 255).

This information can relate to the text in a number of ways. Firstly, when Aunt Alexandra visits the Finches, she heavily criticizes Scout for wearing such unwomanly clothes. She expects Scout to wear a dress at all times, rather than pants. This shows that dresses (of some sort or other) were one of the most primary types of outfits that women wore, and that slacks, which Scout had been wearing, were unacceptable clothes for women during that time period. In fact, it is observed in reading of the text that ladies would often do their best to look as formal as possible before going out anywhere. Scout notes that the people whom Aunt Alexandra invited over were heavily powdered, and wore lipstick and fingernail polish. The ladies “put their hats on just to go across the street” (Lee 229). This supports that women tried to be as formal as possible, but also points out the prominence of the small hats mentioned above.

Fashion was an important part of everyday life for women in the 1930s. Aunt Alexandra seems to represent the expectation of society–that women should attempt to look as formal and feminine-looking as possible. During a conversation with Scout, she sums it up quite cynically: “You won’t get very far until you start wearing dresses more often” (230).